Portable ice making machine



May 5, 1964 A. .1. R085 PORTABLE ICE MAKING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 29, 1962 Ma vf W May 5, 1964 A. J. ROSS PORTABLE ICE MAKING MACHINE Filed March 29, 1962 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O This invention relates to an ice making apparatus and particularly to a portable ice producing and storage unit.

An important object of [this invention is to provide a portable ice producing and storage unit having a portable storage bin and a self contained ice producing apparatus so arranged that it can be selectively positioned inside the bin for compact storage and transportation.

A more particular object of this invention is to provide an ice producing and storage apparatus in which the ice producing apparatus is supported on a portable storage bin for movement between a storage position inside the bin and an operating position above the bin, and in which the producing apparatus is arranged to feed the ice into the bin when in its operating position and to enable selective withdrawal of ice from the bin.

These, together with other objects and advantages of this invention will be more readily appreciated as the same becomes better understood by reference to the following detailed description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective of the ice producing and storage unit illustrating the parts in the storage position thereof;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the ice producing and storage unit illustrating the parts in the operating position thereof;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the ice producing and storage unit with parts of the casing broken away to illustrate details of construction;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional view through the ice producing and storage unit, taken on the plane 44 of FIG. 3; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary transverse sectional view taken on the plane 55 of FIG. 4.

The present invention in general includes a portable ice storage bin md a self contained ice producing unit 11 which is mounted on the storage bin for movement between an operating position overlying the bit and a storage position disposed wholly Within the bin, for com pact storage and transportation. The bin is advantageously in the form of an elongated generally rectangular casing having a bottom wall 12, spaced side walls 13, end walls 14 and a cover 15. The ice storage bin may be of any suitable construction having adequate strength to support the ice producing unit in either its operating or storage position and which is thermally insulated to minimize melting of ice stored in the bin. As best shown in FIGS. 4 and 5, each of the walls of the storage bin are formed with rigid inner and outer panels 16 and 17 with a thermal insulating material 18 sandwiched therebetween. A handle means is provided to facilitate carrying of the bin, and as shown, the handle is in the form of a generally U-shaped bail 21 which has inwardly extending trunnions 22 at opposite ends rotatably supported in the end walls 14 of the bin. The cover is conveniently formed with a handle 24 having a concave upper face 25 shaped to permit the web portion of the bail to snap thereinto to releasably lock the bail in the position shown in FIG. 1.

The self contained ice producing unit 11 is mounted on a base 31. The unit is supported for movement between an operating position shown in FIGS. 2-5 overlying the bin and a storage position shown in dotted lines in FIG. 4, in which the producing unit is disposed wholly Within the bin. For this purpose, the base 31 is dimensioned to be guidably received between the side walls 13 of the bin and has an overall length less than the spacing between the end walls 14. The base is swingably sup- 3,131,551 Patented May 5, 1964 ponted adjacent the upper ends of the side walls by means of laterally extending pins 32 which project into sockets 33 (see FIG. 3) in the side walls adjacent one of the end walls 14. The base 31 is thus swingable from the solid line position shown in FIG. 4 overlying the bin to the dotted line position shown in that figure, and in which the base extends downwardly alongside one of the end walls. The pins 32 are advantageously slidably supported by brackets 34 on the base for movement into and out of the socket 153 and are yieldably urged laterally of the base into the sockets by means of springs 35. A laterally projecting finger 36 is conveniently formed on the ends of the pins to facilitate withdrawal of the pins from the socket for removal of the ice producing unit from the bin. The tray is also provided with means for selectively locking it in its operating position shown in FIG. 4, and this means is also conveniently in the form of pins 38 which are supported as by brackets 39 on the base for movement laterally thereof into and out of the soclets 41 in the upper edges of the side walls 13. The pins are yieldably urged into the sockets by springs 42, and laterally extending fingers 43 are provided on the pins to facilitate retraction of the pins from the sockets. Thus, the ice producing unit can be selectively moved from its operating position overlying the bin as shown in solid lines in FIG. 4, to its storage position shown in dotted lines in that figure, and in which the ice producing unit is disposed wholly Within the bin for compact storage.

The ice producing unit includes a conventional refrigerant compressor 51 mounted on the base, and having an outlet line 52 connected to a condenser 53, also mounted on the base. The outlet of the condenser is connected through a capillary tube 54, or other suitable refrigerant expansion control, to the evaporator 55 of an ice producing and storage unit (see FIG. 5). Refrigerant from the evaporator passes through an accumulator 56 and back through line 57 to the inlet of the compressor 51. A fan 58 may also be mounted on the base to increase air flow to the condenser and pass the compressor, if desired. As best shown in FIG. 5, the evaporator 55 forms part of an ice making head including an outer liquid packet 61 which surrounds the evaporator to maintain a quantity of liquid in contact with the walls of the evaporator. An annular ice removing device 62 extends around the evaporator from removing the frozen liquid therefrom and for feeding the frozen liquid to a discharge outlet 63 adjacent one end of the jacket 61. The ice remover is rotated at a relatively low speed by a geared drive motor 65, conveniently mounted on the jacket 61 and drivingly connected to the annular ice remover 62 to rotate the same relative to the evaporator. In order to feed the flake ice to the storage bin, when the unit is in its operative position, an ice chute 68 is connected to the outlet 63 in the jacket 61 and extends downwardly through an opening 69 in the base to feed ice to the bin therebelow. Liquid is maintained at a preselected level in the jacket 61 of the ice producing apparatus as by a float valve 71 which is connected through a line '72 to a source of water supply, and by a conduit '73 to the jacket 61. The supply line 72 for the water may be adapted for detachable connection to a faucet or the like of a plumbing system, or, alternatively, can be connected to a jug or other liquid reservoir which is maintained at an elevation above the float valve. The entire ice producing unit is conveniently protectively enclosed in a louvered housing 75 removably attached to the base.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the ice producing and storage unit can be readily moved from a storage position shown in phantom in FIG. 4 to an operating position shown in solid lines in that figure. When in its storage position, the ice producing unit is disposed wholly within the storage bin and the cover 15 can be applied to Q at the bin to completely enclose the bin and the unit for compact storage and transportation. When in its operating position, the ice producing unit is disposed so as to overlie the bin and utilize the full capacity of the bin for storing ice. Since the ice producing unit has a length less than the length of the bin, an access opening A is provided between the ice producing unit and the end of the bin to enable withdrawal of ice from the bin when the unit is in its operating position. With the specific mounting for the ice producing unit illustrated, the entire unit can be readily removed from the bin for service or repair if desired. In addition, this arrangement enables use of the storage bin without the ice producing unit, when desired.

I claim:

1. A portable ice making apparatus comprising, a portable ice storage bin having a bottom, spaced sides and ends, and an open top, a self-contained ice producing unit dimensioned smaller than said bin to be receivable therein and including a base dimensioned to be received between the sides of the bin and having a length shorter than the spacing between the ends of the bin to provide an access opening at the top of the bin adjacent one end of the base when the base is positioned to overlie the open top, said unit also including a refrigerant compressor, condenser and ice making head mounted on the base, means engaging said base adjacent one end of the base swingably supporting said base for movement between a storage position in which the base extends downwardly into the bin and the unit is completely disposed therein and an operating position in which the base overlies the discharge opening and the unit is substantially disposed above the bin, means for selectively supporting said unit in said operating position, and an ice discharge chute for conveying ice from the freezing head to the bin when said unit is in said operating position.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said supporting means includes fingers mounted for movement laterally of said base into and out of engagement with said sides of the bin.

3. A portable ice making apparatus comprising, a portable ice storage bin havin a bottom, sides and ends and an opening at the top thereof, a self-contained ice producing unit dimensioned smaller than said bin to be receivable therein and including a base, a compressor, condenser, and an ice making head mounted on said base, said head having a freezing wall, means \for supplying liquid to be frozen to said freezing wall, and an ice remover for removing frozen liquid from the freezing wall, an ice discharge chute extending from said head and arranged to convey ice from the head and discharge it into the bin when the base is positioned to overlie said open top of the bin, means mounting said unit on said bin for movement between an operating position in which the unit is substantially disposed outside the bin in overlying relation to the open top of the bin and a storage position in which the unit is located wholly within the bin, and means for releasably supporting said unit in said operating position.

4. The combination of claim 3 wherein said base has an opening therein and said chute extends from the head to said opening to deliver ice into the bin below the base.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,028,046 Calatroni Jan. 14, 1936 2,429,934 Groh Oct. 28, 1947 2,496,492 Prosek Feb. 7, 1950 2,515,766 Earle July 18, 1950 3,034,317 Schneider et a1. May 15, 1962 

1. A PORTABLE ICE MAKING APPARATUS COMPRISING, A PORTABLE ICE STORAGE BIN HAVING A BOTTOM, SPACED SIDES AND ENDS, AND AN OPEN TOP, A SELF-CONTAINED ICE PRODUCING UNIT DIMENSIONED SMALLER THAN SAID BIN TO BE RECEIVABLE THEREIN AND INCLUDING A BASE DIMENSIONED TO BE RECEIVED BETWEEN THE SIDES OF THE BIN AND HAVING A LENGTH SHORTER THAN THE SPACING BETWEEN THE ENDS OF THE BIN TO PROVIDE AN ACCESS OPENING AT THE TOP OF THE BIN ADJACENT ONE END OF THE BASE WHEN THE BASE IS POSITIONED TO OVERLIE THE OPEN TOP, SAID UNIT ALSO INCLUDING A REFRIGERANT COMPRESSOR, CONDENSER AND ICE MAKING HEAD MOUNTED ON THE BASE, MEANS ENGAGING SAID BASE ADJACENT ONE END OF THE BASE SWINGABLY SUPPORTING SAID BASE FOR MOVEMENT BETWEEN A STORAGE POSITION IN WHICH THE BASE EXTENDS DOWNWARDLY 